HOW GREAT IS THAT DARKNESS

"Okay Lord, I’ll write it. But I really don’t understand why you give me these dirty jobs. Why haven’t you anointed me to write about the evil Democrats, or say, those God-haters who want to take Manger Scenes off of the courthouse steps? Why can’t I be like Ann Coulter and just expose liberals? Why do I always have to write things about folks who are supposed to be on my side?

The liberals hate me enough…why do I have to keep poking “conservatives” in the eye?
It won’t be long before I won’t be welcome anywhere in Christian circles. But I promised you years ago that I would be faithful to write and speak what you put in my spirit. As President John Adams famously said, “Duty is ours. The results belong to God.”

So, I’ll lay it out there and trust you have a reason for putting the words in my heart.

Most Christians are not.....Not really disciples of Jesus that is. As I go about my work, I have become more and more convinced of that truth. The American Experience is in trouble because those who claim to be followers of Jesus really don’t follow Him. Oh, don’t get me wrong, they “go to church,” and most “believe in God,” but they are not followers of Jesus. They don’t even know what that means...to follow Jesus…even though they are “Christians.” In fact, I doubt whether the Apostle Paul, or any of the first-century believers, would even recognize the “religion” that we call “Christianity” today. Just wondering….was Jesus a “Christian?”
Jesus hated religion. It was the “religious” folks that He tried to free us from. “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Read Mathew 23 to understand better what He had to say to “religious” leaders. He stated it better than I can.

Look. Christianity is not a religion, it is not “going to church”, it is not a set of rules and regulations after which you pattern your life, it is not a crutch for the weak, it is not an answer on the US Census, and it is not a home business designed to increase one’s earthly possessions. Christianity is the life of Jesus living through you. It is an exchange of your life for His, a living out of His nature instead of yours, a “putting on” of the life of Jesus, not a process where you “accept” Him, or “receive” Him, or “come” to Him. It is a death process…a dying of you and your old nature…a transformation really…out of an old life to a new one. “Christ IN you, the hope of Glory.”

Most folks who identify themselves as Christians claim to know Jesus as Savior. Very few know Him as Lord. That’s why Christianity is so shallow in America. We love the “Savior” part of Jesus, but aren’t quite ready to bow to that “Lord” thingee. Most are interested in having “their Savior” bless their endeavors, but few are willing to “lay down their lives” for Him. Everyone wants to “follow Jesus” until they find out where He is going…He is heading to a Cross…and He asks you to take up yours and follow Him. This flies in the face of popular Christianity and its “felt needs”…

The hearts of Americans are hard to pierce. Stephen called folks like us “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” How did the religious folks receive Stephen and his honest rebuke? “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him…”

Here is what I am getting at. Most “Christians” are not open to the true Gospel because they already think they have it. They have learned to compartmentalize it, to compromise it, to hang it on the coat rack. But they have heard a different Gospel. They have been taught to follow Christianity, not Jesus.
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Jude

Do yourself a favor. Take the time to read the book of Acts. It is a record of the “Gospel” being lived out by those who were most familiar with the Savior. You will look long and hard, far and wide, to find anything even remotely resembling the modern-day humanistic, self-serving, Jesus-wants-me-to-be-happy-and-rich-Gospel belching out of the pulpits today. Would they invite Paul, the greatest evangelist the world has ever known, to appear on TBN? Would Rick Warren and Joel Osteen allow him to stand in their pulpits? Can you picture him “dancing with the stars?”
Americans are following a “different” Gospel, which is "no Gospel at all."
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

Permit me to state it more succinctly so that there can be no miss-understanding of the point I am trying to make. Most church-goers are not followers of Jesus. They are merely members of a social club called “Christianity”. “Membership has its advantages….”

How do you heal someone who doesn’t know he is sick? How do you save someone who doesn’t think he is lost?

“If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness…”
Americanized Christianity has everything backwards. Somewhere along the line the life-denying-Gospel has morphed into a life-enhancement Gospel. Instead of us giving ourselves for the advancement of the Kingdom we have been fooled into believing that Jesus gave Himself so we could be masters of our own kingdom. The idea of sacrifice and suffering is anathema to modern, Americanized Christianity. How else can you possibly explain the calloused attitude that most “Christians” have towards the “increase of His government and peace.”

Read Matthew 13. It is here that we read of the wheat and the tares which GROW UP TOGETHER. That’s right. When you go to “church” on Sunday it would behoove you to look around. Many of those sitting beside you are destined for the bon-fire. They look like Christians, they sing like Christians, and they speak the Christian language”, but they are not children of the Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” -Matthew 7

Could it be that many are getting the wrong answer because they are being asked the wrong question? It is not “do you know Jesus”, but rather, “does Jesus know You?”
In recent polls eight-five per cent of all Americans self-identify as Christians, yet this nation has become a moral wasteland. “Christians” complain about others “shoving Christianity down our throats.” “Christians” declare that “religion” is a “private matter” while atheistic teachings swamp their children in “public schools.” “Christians” have abortions and vote for “pro-abortion” candidates. “Christians” embrace homosexuality. “Christians” fail to keep their marriage vows. “Christians” ignore the precepts that Jesus taught.

How do you rescue someone who doesn’t think he needs to be rescued? How do you bring sight to one who thinks he sees? How do you bring knowledge to one who thinks he knows? How do you bring truth to one who doesn’t know he is deceived? How do you bring light to one who doesn’t know it is dark?

America is the most “Gospelized” nation in the world, but my dealings with Americanized “Christians” have convinced me that the greatest mission field in the world is inside the four walls of most American churches.

The darkness thinks it is light. “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Most “Christians” don’t know enough about Jesus to tremble.

How great is that darkness…

This article was written by Coach Dave Daubenmire, founder and President of Pass The Salt Ministries (www.ptsalt.com) and Minutemen United (www.minutemenunited.org) and host of the high octane Pass The Salt radio show heard in Columbus, Ohio. In 1999 Coach Daubenmire was sued by the ACLU for praying with his teams while coaching high school in Ohio. He now spends his energy fighting for Christian principles in the public domain.

SAVE THE REPUBLIC FROM DEMOCRACY By Henry Lamb - Sovereignty International, Inc

America is not a democracy. It was never intended to be a democracy. The founders worked hard to see that the new government they created was not a democracy, but a growing segment of the population seems hell-bent on transforming this great nation into a democracy in which the rights of the minority are systematically ignored. The United States of America was quite deliberately designed to be a federal republic. The founders recognized the highest governing authority on earth to be the individual. They realized that they, as individuals, had the authority and the intelligence to create a new system of government, empowered by the consent of the governed to do only those specific chores that the people stipulated in a written Constitution. They recognized that in such a government, there would need to be direct accountability to the electorate for every official empowered to make laws that restricted the freedom of individuals. This new federal republic had to recognize and honor the state governments that were already constructed and the local governments within these states, if the new federal republic were to have any chance of succeeding. The Constitution these men formulated contained two provisions to ensure that the new government would forever remain a federal republic: a Senate chosen by state governments and a president chosen indirectly by what came to be known as the Electoral College. The 17th Amendment destroyed a major safeguard of the federal republic by allowing senators to be chosen by the public, rather than by the states. All our founders' inspiring, biblical quotes in one place – a must-have for your library: "America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" The 17th Amendment was a significant part of the wave of progressivism ushered in by the Wilson administration in 1913. Imposition of the income tax, the Federal Reserve, the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Trade Commission began the attack by progressives on the federal republic the founders had so carefully constructed. The Electoral College is the last and only element of the Constitution that keeps the United States of America from being formally transformed into a direct democracy. Now, the progressives have taken aim and are attacking this last bastion of the federal republic. Direct election of senators came as the result of a constitutional amendment, which can be reversed as was the Prohibition amendment, another progressive-era mistake. The war on the Electoral College is taking a different path: States are enacting legislation that authorizes all the state's electors to be awarded to the national winner of the popular vote, regardless of the how the people voted in the state. Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland and now Massachusetts have all enacted legislation that pledges to assign their electors to the winner of the national popular vote in the presidential election, regardless of how the voters in the state voted. Prior to this new war on the Electoral College, in all states except Nebraska and Maine, all the state's electors were assigned to the candidate who received the most votes in the state. This is the winner-take-all system. This system assures that small states have a say in the selection of the president. Progressives argue that the winner-take-all system is not democratic. So be it. It was not designed to be democratic; it was designed to help balance the power between and among the states and the various branches of government. It was designed to make government function as a federal republic rather than a democracy.
Few people understand the importance of the Electoral College because schools have all but erased the subject from the curriculum. The Electoral College is cumbersome, it is confusing, it is frustrating for the supporters of Al Gore who saw the Electoral College bestow the presidency on George W. Bush, who received fewer popular votes than did Al Gore. Consider the effect of eliminating the Electoral College: direct democracy. The president would be chosen by urban population centers. There would be no need to campaign in rural states. There would be no need to be concerned about the needs and cares of rural people. There would be no interest in the minority. The genius of the American system of governance is the carefully developed balance of power between the states and the federal government, the various branches of government, and between conflicting philosophies of governance. When the minority is driven from the debate, or ignored, tyranny reins. The first 18 months of the Democratic regime in Washington has demonstrated how the majority can ignore the minority and the Constitution. In the cycle of governance, democracy is the last phase before anarchy. The founders wanted no part of a democracy; they created a federal republic. A democracy is often described as two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. The wolves are at the door of our federal republic.
http://crossroad.to/articles2/010/sovereignty/8-republic.htm

TIMES ARE TOUGH……

Our world teeters on the brink of mass destruction. Madmen have always menaced our world. Research of any period in history reveals evil men who found great delight in destroying people as if they were nothing more than dead grass under their feet. But, never before in history has there been a day when delivery systems for evil were so close to everyone in the world. One push of a button could change life dramatically!

Why would I set forth such gloom and doom? There are several reasons.

First, it reminds me that we should never allow our lives to become Earth bound. Life today moves at a fast pace. We rarely stop to contemplate the larger issues. We are caught up in the next appointment, ballgame, music lesson, choice of restaurant or television show. The fact remains that life is fragile, and a day is coming when we will leave planet Earth in the Upward call. This world and all its pleasures are fleeting. Better not get too attached.

Second, this world is on a collision course with the eternal plan of Almighty God. The suffering Servant Who came to die on a cross to purchase our forgiveness will one day return as the Victor over the armies of hell. All His enemies will one day be as a footstool under His feet. The tyrants of this world who wield such power today will fall at His feet and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Third, we always live on the edge of eternity. Life is but a breath. We must never take any moment for granted. Every second of life is precious and should be lived to the glory of our God.

Fourth, we have the only good news that will never turn bad. We have the Good News of Jesus. We proclaim the only Name that offers salvation, for there is salvation in no other than Jesus.

Fifth, time is short, and we must convey the Good News to people living in this bad news world. It is easy to think “over there,” but we need to think up close. Many of us hesitate to share our faith for fear of rejection. Better to share and be rejected than to leave our family and friends to face the horror of a Christless eternity.

And there is an even better reason to share our faith……It is because we want people to know our wonderful Savior. We want them to have the same peace, love and joy that we have. Above all, we want our Lord to be glorified and worshiped by people we love.

Times are tough. Crazy people sit in high places. In the end, we win---- and all who know Jesus win also.

SHARE WITH SOMEONE THE GOOD NEWS TODAY!

DO YOU REMEMBER

Come with me, no shoes allowed. Let’s go barefoot in the grass.
Hold my hand as we remember, all the summers of the past. Eating ice cream in the sunshine as it dribbles down our arms, Playing hopscotch and singing songs Like “Old McDonald had a farm”.
Orange soda and Kool-Aid pops and cooking hotdogs on the grill. Trying to see who the strongest was, who would be King of the Hill? Sitting by the lakeside, squishing sand between our toes Chasing fireflies in the night sky, never knowing why they glowed.
Summer rains that gently fell and washed my little face. Sitting down at supper time, with family saying grace. Thank you, Lord, for giving me these precious memories. Older now but remembering, with every summer breeze.

Occupy Till I Come

We have been instructed by Jesus to "occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13). But how are we to be occupied? The answer is clear in Jesus' last instructions to His disciples in Acts 1:8, "You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We have been left on this earth to lead others to Christ. Witnessing makes the wait worthwhile.

What then keeps so many of us from witnessing about Christ on a regular basis?

Roadblocks to Sharing Your Faith

Proxies. Someone who is authorized to represent you is called a proxy. In the church, we've developed a convenient system: "If you cannot go to spread the Gospel, you can send someone in your place." It is important to support our missionaries. But institutional missions was never intended to replace individual missions. God wants everyone to go somewhere.

Professionalism. You might ask your pastor, "What do you mean you want us to witness? Isn't that what we pay you for?" According to the Bible, it is the pastor's job to equip the people of God so they can do the work of evangelism. Witnessing is not only the job of the pastor; it's your job.

Pessimism. Many hold a pessimistic view of witnessing because they don't want to be viewed as being too aggressive or narrow-minded. We live in an age when people believe that all roads lead to God, as long as you sincerely believe. How many of you know you can be sincerely wrong? Jesus didn't say, "I am one of the ways." He said, "I am the Way" (John 14:6).

Panic. Just the thought of witnessing creates panic in many people. Many of us fear witnessing because we don't feel ready to share our faith. Preparing to witness is kind of like taking a CPR class. People learn CPR in order to resuscitate someone physically if necessary. You don't have to be a medical doctor with years of training to perform CPR. You just have to learn a few basic principles. In the same way, we ought to know some basic principles of witnessing so we can spiritually resuscitate someone.

The following steps will show you how to perform "spiritual CPR" and share your faith.

Sharing the Road to Salvation

Be Enthusiastic. Are you enthusiastic about your faith in Jesus Christ? A contagious Christian is doing something that's got them excited, something that gets them out of bed in the morning.

Be Authentic. People don't only read the Christian literature we give them; they read our lives. It's nearly impossible to ignore someone who authentically lives out his or her convictions. But it's easy to discount someone who says one thing and does another.

Be Looking for Opportunities. In the past month, how many of you have had dinner with an unsaved couple or individual? Witnessing presents a real challenge if we are always around believers.

Be Prepared. Prepare yourself for evangelism by praying and studying the Bible. Begin on your knees by asking God to touch your unsaved friends through the power of the Holy Spirit. Even if you don't see your friends come to Christ right away, keep praying!

Be Christ-Centered. Acts 8:5 tells us that Philip the evangelist went down to Samaria and preached Christ. He went right to the core of the Gospel message. We must be committed to preaching Christ's death and resurrection.

Finding Worth in the Wait
As you wait for Christ's return, is witnessing a priority in your life? Nothing can compare to being God's instrument to lead one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious life of heaven. If you have never had that experience, or you would like to be more effective in your witness, God can use you starting today.

This article was taken from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's bi-monthly Devotional Magazine.

A TRIBUTE TO ALL MOTHERS

( selected article from the God@Work newsletter,
St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Lincoln, Nebraska.)

This is for all the mothers who have sat up at night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

Who walk around the house all night with their babies when they keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football or soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet like a tired 2-year old who wants ice cream before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own off spring are at home.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips sometimes until they bleed - when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

For all the mothers of the victims of all these school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

This is for all mothers everywhere.

This is for you all. So hang in there--YOU ARE LOVED!

--Author unknown--

THANK GOD FOR MOTHERS!

MOUNTAINS AND MONDAYS

Mountains...and Mondays!

I'm not a mountain climber, but I've seen the videos! Awesome, exhilarating moments when they reach the top.....and for most of us Easter Sunday was the top of the mountain. High praises, heavenly lilies, happy children--beauty and blessing all around--in sermon, in song, in family gatherings, in traditions and sharing of love--and yes, even in the ladies with courage to wear Easter hats! It's a day of celebration. Jesus is alive--He fills our hearts to the tiptop with joy and life; He's our reason for being--our reason for living, and how we love Him!
Uh....that was Sunday......but Monday came and --back to the office and the email; back to the laundry and dishes; back to the time-outs and taxis for kids....back to reality! Will the joy we felt Sunday still be there on Monday? He's just as much risen TODAY as He was last Sunday....and He's here to meet your daily routine needs, to give you a deep joy that doesn't fade...even when the Easter flowers do! He's alive for the highs AND the lows of your life--whatever day it is. Let's celebrate Jesus EVERY day...for whether it's mountains OR Mondays, HE doesn't change! Believe it, take an Easter praise break today--and have a GREAT day!